Triathlon: Lemon back from the brink

Tracy Lemon has more than a passing experience with adversity. She is still being treated for a recurrence of her horrific rugby hamstring injury where she ripped it from the bone. She has run three ironman events since then but the latest, the national championships at Taupo earlier this year, brought more bad luck.

The former Black Ferns hooker returned to her Taupo motel to find she had been burgled. Her bike, among other things, was gone. The Taupo race was shortened because of the pounding weather. She and her long-time partner broke up shortly afterwards and, just after that, a car ploughed into hers outside her Kohimarama flat.

But this is a woman who knows something about recovering from adversity. As she hobbles around her small flat, an infomercial blares on about a quick-fix machine supposedly designed to get people fit.

You don't need a quick-fix gizmo. A drop of Tracy Lemon would do. If anyone is looking for that inspirational, kick-in-the-pants stimulus to get off the couch, just talk to her.

The crippling blow she suffered in 2000 when her hamstring detached itself would be enough for any normal person to call it quits. But Lemon has her sights fixed on becoming a triple New Zealand representative in this year's world championships of long triathlon in Canberra, where she has been chosen in the 35-39 age group.

Back in 2000, her surgeon delivered the news that she would have to spend a year learning how to walk again. Since then, apart from completing three ironman events, she also gained national honours in outrigger canoeing.

Lemon is never one to complain and describes her period of bad luck as "soul building".

"All that adversity gets put in there," as she beats her chest, "and it builds the will. There are no excuses, your efforts ride above your excuses."

Following the trials of Taupo, the 36-year-old Manukau Institute of Technology senior sports lecturer took some time out at Outward Bound, another illustration of her grit.

After six gruelling days, the extreme demands of the instructors eventually broke her mentally - but refreshed her perspective. "I was the last to break," she said with grim satisfaction. "The instructor had me doing press-ups under a cold shower after a swim and I was freezing and I snapped. It was a good moment where I realised there was more than just training.

"Since then, I've got a lot more honest with people and let them know when I'm not coping and that has shocked many people."

One of her ex-students, and now best friends, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Valerie Vili, has been one of her key supports. It is something of a role reversal as Lemon kick-started Vili's athletics career back at high school.

"It's turned full circle," said Lemon. "She has become my mentor now and it was amazing for me to see the people who were there when I was down and out."

Vili, as a shy 16-year-old, was one of Lemon's most regular visitors when she was laid low by the hamstring injury after the two developed a special bond from school, Mangere's Southern Cross Campus, where Lemon was a PE teacher.

"She was the only one at school who really understood me," said Vili, whose mother passed away when she was a teenager. "She knew I was in trouble sometimes but she helped me through it and helped me focus on the things I do well, you know. She gave me self-belief."

Vili repaid the favour. "Valerie gave me a good shake-up and helped me see how capable I am because I had lost sight of that," said Lemon, who is back into the grind of 100km-plus bike rides and 4km swims.

Lemon was surprised by the letter announcing she had been selected to represent New Zealand again in the upcoming world championships. With 14 weeks until she competes in Canberra, Lemon hasn't even considered her recurring injury preventing her from competing.

Unlike ironmans, where she is happy just to finish, Lemon is looking forward to responding to the pressure to perform.

So where to next for the woman of steel?

"I don't know," Lemon paused and briefly mentioned taking on the Kona ironman in Hawaii.

"I just know I love to train. It is a blessing."